Should a school emergency, closing, or cancellation occur, you will be notified by phone and e-mail via the school division’s parent notification system AlertNow. The phone call/message or e-mail delivered to you will inform you of the most current information available at the time. If it is an ongoing event, updates will be provided sent to you using AlertNow. You may also use these resources as an additional source of information:
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Virginia Beach City Public Schools is committed to providing a safe environment for students, staff and visitors. We work closely with national, state, and local safety officials - police, fire, emergency medical services, and public health - in order to ensure our schools are well prepared for an emergency. Together, we have developed a comprehensive Emergency Response Plan that covers a wide variety of emergencies that serves as a guide to help staff and our public safety partners respond swiftly should a crisis occur in our schools.
The information included on this page provides an overview of the many safety measures Virginia Beach City Public Schools has implemented and serves as a guide for parents, students, and staff should there be a school emergency or if schools are closed/cancelled due to inclement weather.
Please report any safety concerns you may have to your school principal.
Safety Measures in Our Schools [Top]
Parents should be assured to know that the safety measures in place in our schools are extensive. The school division's Office of Safe Schools and Risk Management staff work diligently to ensure our division-wide emergency plan is current and that all staff members are prepared to respond to a wide variety of school emergencies. Every one of our schools has numerous safety measures in place to provide a safe learning environment for our students. Some of the safety measures that can be found in our schools include:
- The school division’s new parent notification system AlertNow will be used to call and
e-mail parents during an emergency situation in order to provide the most current information about the emergency situation. - Each school has a Crisis Response Team with selected members that have participated in training to ensure appropriate response on a variety of potential school emergencies.
- All exterior school doors are either locked or under surveillance.
- Interior and exterior closed circuit television (CCTV) is installed in all schools.
- Every school has an emergency radio to receive updates on emergency situations.
- Visitor's desk is manned at the entrance of every school.
- As a condition of entry, visitors must sign-in and wear a visitors I.D. badge.
- All principals and key administrators have cell phones with text messaging capability.
- Each school has a minimum supply of 15 two-way radios to assist in emergency communications.
- Intrusion alarms are installed in every school.
- After-hours security staff monitor all schools.
Virginia Beach City Public Schools Partners with Public Safety Agencies [Top]
School staff works closely with the appropriate local public safety agencies, such as police, fire, emergency medical services, public health and mental health in order to effectively deal with a wide range of crises. Virginia Beach City Public Schools received a grant totaling $466,967.00 from the U.S. Department of Education's (DOE) Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools in 2004 to strengthen the school division's emergency preparation and response plan in order to effectively deal with a wide range of crises. This significant grant provided the resources to develop a sustainable joint emergency response plan - coordinated by Virginia Beach City Public Schools and the City of Virginia Beach. The DOE sponsors this grant to emphasize the importance of collaboration between local school divisions and other first responders - fire, police, health, mental health and community groups - during emergency situations.
As a Parent How Can You Prepare for a School Emergency? [Top]
As a parent, it is important to provide accurate emergency contact information to your child's school and notify the school office staff if it changes. This will allow school staff to provide you with timely updates using the AlertNow parent notification system. It is critical that your child’s school has access to your current phone numbers and e-mail addresses during an emergency situation.
Communications During a School Emergency [Top]
During an emergency, it is critical that parents receive important information and directions from school officials before going to the school or scene of an emergency. Thanks to the parent notification system AlertNow, you can be confident that accurate and timely information will be released to parents during any school emergency.
Should a school emergency occur, a parent can get important information and directions by doing one or all of the following:
- Call the VBCPS Emergency Hotline at 757.263.1000
- Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.: Aswered by school staff.
- After hours: A recorded message will confirm the status of school operations.
- Visit vbschools.com (homepage)
Facts and Terms Every Parent Should Know [Top]
Should an emergency situation occur at your child's school, it is important that parents are familiar with these terms.
What is an internal lockdown?
During an internal lockdown all school interior doors are locked and students are confined to their classrooms and no entry or exit of the school is allowed. This takes place if there is a threat or possible threat inside the school.What is an external lockdown?
During an external lockdown all school exterior doors are locked. This takes place if the threat is outside of the school. If the situation allows, parents could be admitted into the school with proper identification.How will I know if a school is in an internal lockdown?
The main entrance doors will be locked and a sign will be posted on the front door indicating that the school is in an internal lockdown. If there is no admittance to the building you will be referred to the VBCPS Emergency Hotline at 757.263.1000 for information regarding this incident.If the school is in an external lockdown, what type of identification will I need to enter the school?
If it is deemed safe for you to enter the building, you will need to show a proper form of identification such as a driver's license, military I.D., VBCPS school I.D. or other valid photo identification.What does Shelter-in-Place mean?
Shelter-in-place means selecting small, interior rooms in the school, with no or few windows, and taking refuge there until it is safe to release students. This is a precaution aimed to keep our students safe from hazardous materials that may have been released into the atmosphere. (This is not the same thing as going to a shelter in case of a storm.) This procedure is implemented if it is determined that evacuation or dismissal could possibly place students at risk.If the school building is evacuated, how will I be able to locate my child?
Each school has a procedure for helping parents locate their child. Parents will be directed to a specific location where they will be required to show proper identification. Remember, a student can only be released to an adult that is documented as an emergency contact. If you are a non-custodial parent, you must be listed with your child's emergency contact information as a guardian and show proper identification.
Staff Training for Emergencies is Ongoing [Top]
As a parent, you should feel confident to know that we provide, on an annual basis, crisis management training to school administrators. Each school has key staff members with assigned roles and responsibilities to perform during an emergency. The school division's Emergency Response Plan is modeled on the National Incident Management System (NIMS) that has been developed by the Department of Homeland Security. In addition, every school conducts emergency drills throughout the school year so that students and staff are aware of the most effective and safe emergency responses.
Emotional Support for Students During Times of Crisis [Top]
It is important that our students feel safe in our schools, especially after a crisis has occurred. Should there be a need, the school division provides psychological services to all students in the school division. These services are provided by school psychologists licensed by the State Board of Education and include consultation, psychological and psychoeducational assessment and direct service in order to facilitate learning and to promote mental health in students and are provided in a manner consistent with the ethical principles and professional practice standards of the National Association of School Psychologists.
If a situation occurs in school or during a school-related activity, where students may be emotionally affected, a crisis response team will provide counseling assistance to students to help them understand what has happened and cope with their emotions and reactions.
Closings, Cancellations, and Delays Due to Weather Conditions [Top]
In the interest of student safety, decisions to close schools, delay school openings, or dismiss early due to inclement weather conditions are made by the superintendent after consulting with the school division's Department of Transportation, Virginia Department of Transportation, and local and state police. As soon as a decision is made, parents and guardians will be notified of using the AlertNow parent notification system by phone and e-mail. In addition to AlertNow, you may also use the following resources to confirm the status of school operations should there be inclement weather conditions.
- Call the VBCPS Emergency Hotline at 757.263.1000
- Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.: Aswered by school staff.
- After hours: A recorded message will confirm the status of school operations.
- Visit vbschools.com (homepage)
Make-up Days
Should school be cancelled due to inclement weather or as a result of other conditions, make-up days will be at the discretion of the superintendent. Potential make-up days may include single day holidays and staff work days. Should these days be insufficient, Spring Break days and Saturdays will be considered. It is within the discretion of the superintendent to elect not to make up instructional days unless necessary to meet the statutory minimum.
In the event schools are cancelled, make up days will be communicated to school principals and posted on the school division's standard calendar.
Impact on School Programs/Activities Due to Delayed Openings, Early Dismissal, and Closings [Top]
If the normal operation hours are affected with school opening later, closing earlier or being cancelled, the regularly scheduled programs and activities that take place during the day could change. To determine how a change in the operation hours could impact students and staff, please take the time to review this chart. It details the impact on programs and services offered at the elementary, middle, and high school levels.